Young Invincibles (“YI”) is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization working to expand economic
opportunity for young people ages 18 to 34 and to amplify their voices in the national political conversation
and policy arena. Founded by and for young adults in the summer of 2009 during the debate over health
care reform, YI has quickly grown into a leading voice for young people on the issues of healthcare, higher
education, pathways to jobs/workforce and civic engagement. The organization has achieved major
successes in areas ranging from the regulation of college health plans to Pell grants, and has successfully
engaged hundreds of thousands of young adults online through a network of over 100 partner
organizations. Our regional offices (California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Texas) have increased grant
aid for low-income college students, expanded funding for community colleges, and ensured
undocumented students can access in-state tuition.
Overview of Internship Role
Our Summer 2026 intern will join YI at an exciting time as we continue our “State of Young Illinois”
campaign, convene our annual policy summit, and host our Powershift Leaders Retreat in August. The
intern will provide logistical support and thought-partnership on implementing the office’s programs and
activities.
Interns are also assigned a Capstone Project, coordinating one of our offices mid- to large- scale activities
(50-100 ppl). This Capstone will be assigned by the Director and will require coordination with the entire
MW Office staff. The intern will meet with the Director weekly to go over deliverables and updates on the
Capstone project. This summer, our internship projects include helping to organize an overnight leadership
retreat, support virtual and in-person young adult programming, and help plan our annual State of Young
Illinois summit.
The intern will also have the ability to work directly with our staff, witnessing firsthand how a nonprofit
policy advocacy organization operates day-to-day. The intern works collaboratively with the staff and
reports to the Midwest Regional Director.
Internship Duration: May - September 2026
Intern Roles and Responsibilities
- Complete a long-term, Capstone project assigned by the Director
- Conduct outreach to individuals and organizations to maximize our engagement and program recruitment efforts
- Attend and volunteer at YI’s programs and events (in-person and virtually)
- Assist the Engagement Manager with implementation of the the Young Advocates Program
- Assist the Advocacy Manager with advocacy campaigns and actions
- Attend regular meetings with the MW Office team (Wednesdays at 10am)
- Other duties as assigned
- Creative, energetic, and joyous attitude
- Work a dependable and consistent schedule
- Results-oriented and focused communication style
- Demonstrates strong interpersonal skills with our team and external partners / stakeholders
- Ability and willingness to work in a fast-paced work environment and an entrepreneurial atmosphere
- A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Cultural competency working and collaborating with diverse populations
- A passion for Young Invincibles’ mission
- Preference: Students with previous coursework in politics, government, policy, nonprofit management or a related field
YI Midwest is a hybrid team. We have one in-office day per week, on Wednesdays. Interns are highly
encouraged to be present on Wednesday mornings (10am - 12pm). YI uses the Google Suite for all remote
communications.
Compensation:This internship is unpaid. Young Invincibles works with colleges and universities to meet requirements for obtaining credit for the internship.
YI is an equal employment opportunity employer and strongly encourages diverse candidates to apply. YI
does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex (including pregnancy), gender, national
origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, medical condition including genetic characteristics, mental or physical
disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, (including transgender status),
weight, height, linguistic characteristics (such as accent and limited English proficiency, where not
substantially job-related), citizenship status, or any other basis prohibited by law.
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What We Do
Young Invincibles was founded in the summer of 2009, motivated by the recognition that young people’s voices were not being heard in the debate over health care reform. Co-Founders Ari Matusiak and Aaron Smith and a few friends wanted to change that, so they set up a one page website, asking young people to share their stories, believing in their generation’s capacity to stand up and make itself heard. In a little more than a year, ‘YI’ went from a group run out of a law school cafeteria to a national organization, representing the interests of 18 to 34 year-olds and making sure that our perspective is heard wherever decisions about our collective future are being made. We do this through conducting cutting-edge policy research and analysis, sharing the stories of young Americans, designing campaigns to educate on important issue areas, informing and mobilizing our generation and advocating to change the status quo. We still believe in our generation – now more than ever. We know that our generation will define the future we share as a nation. These are difficult times. But this is also our time. Why don’t you join us today?
